NDC challenges arrest of Collins Dauda amid voter registration clashes

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has contested the arrest of Hon. Collins Dauda, Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, linking him to disturbances during the ongoing voter registration in the Asunafo South constituency.

The party, in a statement, vehemently denied Dauda’s involvement and accused the Ghana Police Service of acting with undue haste and bias.

According to NDC national communications officer, Sammy Gyamfi, the arrest is baseless and portrays an incorrect narrative about the MP’s role during the incidents at the Kukuom registration center.

“At no point was Hon. Collins Dauda present at the Kukuom registration center. He was monitoring the registration exercise elsewhere in Asutifi South and was nowhere near the disturbances,” he asserted

The statement highlighted a series of events that unfolded on May 11, 2024, involving alleged attacks by masked individuals associated with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). These individuals reportedly targeted NDC supporters, leading to a series of violent confrontations.

“This intimidation and harassment from NPP thugs is a disturbing trend that we see not just in Kukuom but across the country,” Gyamfi explained.

Below is the full statement

NDC RESPONDS TO THE ARREST OF THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR ASUTIFI SOUTH, HON. COLLINS DAUDA IN CONNECTION WITH ONGOING VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has taken note of a statement by the Ghana Police Service, that it has arrested the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Hon. Collins Dauda for his alleged involvement in some disturbances at a Voter Registration Center at Kukuom in the Asunafo South constituency in the Ahafo Region.

Having had the benefit of the facts surrounding the said incident, the party wishes to respond as follows;

1. On or about 10:00 am on Saturday, 11th May 2024, a group of thugs belonging to the ruling New Patriotic Party numbering about 40, besieged the Asunafo South Constituency registration centre at Kukuom.

2. Wearing face masks and dressed in what looked like military apparel, these NPP thugs unleashed violence on the registration centre. They attacked and chased away perceived first-time NDC voters numbering about 150, who were in a queue waiting to be registered.

3. These hooded NPP thugs who were led by one “Anointing”, threatened the accredited NDC agent, Police Officers and other observers, insisting that they would not allow the first-time voters to be registered. The attacks persisted from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm on that fateful day.

4. At about 3:00 pm, the Police at Kukuom called for reinforcement from the Regional Police Command at Goaso. This did not however deter the NPP bandits, who continued to engage in heated verbal exchanges with the Police at the scene, insisting that they would not allow the perceived supporters of the NDC to register.

5. In the midst of the pandemonium, one Daniel Arthur, a known NDC member and the Assembly Member for the Denyase Electoral Area: Abu, the NDC Coordinator for Asarekrom Electoral Area as well as the NDC’s registration agent at the centre, were severely brutalized by the NPP thugs.

6. Upon hearing about the ongoing chaos, some NDC supporters, rushed to the scene to ascertain the situation for themselves and offer some support to the NDC supporters who were under attack. Upon seeing the NDC supporters, some of the NPP thugs bolted. Calm was restored at the centre for some time, allowing some of the harassed supporters of the NDC to register.

7. In a sudden turn of events, one of the NPP thugs drove across and blocked the road when the Asutifi South NDC supporters were leaving the centre. He then pulled a gun and began to shoot indiscriminately at the NDC supporters in their vehicle. At this point, the NDC supporters in exercise of their right to self-defence, shot back to deter the thugs. No one sustained gunshot injuries.

8. This fact was corroborated by the Police in their investigative report read to Hon. Collins Dauda, MP for Asutifi South, in the presence of Hon. Eric Opoku, MP for Asunafo South, at a meeting on the morning of Sunday, 12th May 2024.

9. We wish to place on record that, at no point was the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Hon. Collins Dauda present at the Kukuom registration centre on Saturday, 11th May 2024. Contrary to the claim by the Ghana Police Service, Hon. Collins Dauda was busily monitoring the ongoing registration exercise in his Constituency, Asutifi South and was nowhere near the incident at Kukuom which is located in the Asunafo South constituency.

10. Several NDC supporters who were hospitalised after being brutalized by the NPP thugs, have since lodged official complaints with the Kukuom Police.

11. The NDC condemns in no uncertain terms the unprofessional haste of the Ghana Police Service to publish the so-called arrest of the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South and create the impression all over the media as though he has committed a crime. For emphasis, Hon. Collins Dauda has committed no crime. The allegation by the Police that he was involved in some disturbances at the ongoing voter registration in Kukuom is palpably false and must be treated with the contempt it deserves.

12. The National Democratic Congress reiterates our commitment to peace in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise. We are a law-abiding political party committed to respecting the laws of the country. Our Parliamentary Candidates, agents and supporters throughout the country have so far comported themselves in the ongoing exercise, even in the face of extreme provocation and in some cases, violent attacks.

13. We are however concerned by the widespread violent incidents across the country in which NDC supporters have been at the receiving end of unprovoked brutalities, intimidation and harassment from the ruling New Patriotic Party, as happened in Adugyama in the Ahafo-Ano South East Constituency in the Ashanti region, a few days ago.

14. We wish to remind the Ghana Police Service of their responsibility to protect all stakeholders in the ongoing voter registration exercise. The Ghana Police must display professionalism and impartiality in maintaining law and order, and be fair to all actors in the political space.

15. We cannot accept a situation where the Police choose to watch on and take little action against NPP thugs who unleash unprovoked violence on NDC supporters in broad daylight.

16. Even though we in the NDC will never initiate any such attacks, let it be known, that our supporters reserve the right to defend themselves against any violence or attacks.

SIGNED.
SAMMY GYAMFI ESQ.
National Communications Officer